Happier ending of Romeo and Juliet!
by Lunia Lenore
Summary: What would have happened if Romeo DID get the Friar's letter on time.
1. Preview thingy

K, this is my version of what might have happened if Romeo got the Friar's letter in time. I tried my best not to copy anything that had already been in the book & movie, so here it is. Read, I think you'll like it! 


	2. Default Chapter

Romeo looked up from his seat at the window. He heard footsteps, and a frightful voice calling, "Master, master!" "Balthazar!" he called back, grinning, jumping down from his seat to greet the boy. "Do you have news from Verona for me? How is my Juliet? She is well?" Balthazar shook his head slowly. "Juliet. she's dead. She's dead." Tears slid down his cheeks and he looked down at his muddy boots. "What?!" Romeo's eyes widened in a mix of terror, fear and anger. He looked up at the sky, his eyes narrowing, tears stinging the corners. He thought of his beautiful Juliet all morning, of all the wonderful times that they had spent together, and how much he loved her. Now he thought of his wife, in a tomb, surrounded by other dead and rotting bodies. He held back his tears, and slowly whispered, ".Then I defy you stars!" Grabbing Balthazar's hand, he stomped off to his horses.  
  
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A short man in a friar's outfit stopped in front of a small stone temple. His name was John. Birds twittered in the vast forests of trees around him. He looked down at the letter in his hand, written in the Friar's best handwriting and ink. A man and a boy ran past him in the direction of two tethered horses. The man had an angered look on his face, and the boy was crying, but trying to dry his eyes. 'Aha,' he thought. 'This must be the young Romeo that Friar Laurence was speaking of.' John started to run in the direction of the two, waving his letter. "Wait, wait, dear sirs! Wait!" Romeo had just mounted his horse when he heard the friar calling. He rode over to him, looking down at him from his horse, still trying to hold back his tears. "You," he said. "Who are you, and what do you want! I must be off very, very soon. My Juliet." He looked away for a moment, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "Juliet?" Friar John asked. He looked at the letter in his hand, then held it up to Romeo. "Here, sir Romeo. I believe this letter has some information for you, about your dear Juliet." Romeo drew his horse back, refusing the letter. "I already know the news. She's dead!" With that, he started to ride away, Balthazar riding beside him. "No! No! Wait, come back!" John mounted his own horse - actually, a mule. He trotted off behind the pair, still calling for them.  
  
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Romeo jumped off from his horse, staring up at the door to the Capulet tomb. 'Behind these doors,' he thought, 'Is my wife. Here is where I will join her, in Heaven.' He reached into his pocket, taking out a very small glass bottle. It contained a strong poison, which he had just bought from the apothecary. That annoying little friar had still been following him, waving the letter. But he had ignored him. He already knew what the letter was going to tell him anyway. He didn't wish to hear or see the news again. Turning to Balthazar, he sighed. "Stay here," he told him. He looked around for a rock or an iron bar to open up the door. From far away he heard the friar's calls, but he blocked them from his mind and picked up a large, heavy-looking stone. It was very heavy indeed. He threw it at the door, and missed. He was just about to pick it back up when he felt a tap on his shoulder, then a letter shoved in his face. "Fine!" Romeo grumbled, tearing the seal from the letter. "I'll read it, but I already know the news!" Friar John clasped his hands in front of him, looking up at Romeo, his brows drawn together. 'No you don't.' he thought to himself. Romeo saw that the letter was from Friar Laurence. It read:  
  
'My dearest friend Romeo, I have send one of my best messengers' - "Best messenger, hah," mumbled Romeo - 'to give you this letter before it is too late. What I want to inform you about is, if you don't already know, your Juliet lies within the Capulet tomb. But don't fret! For she is not dead. I gave her a sort of poison, though not actually a poison, that put her to sleep, and made her appear dead. So, I want you to meet me at the front of the tomb the night after she is placed in the tomb, and together we shall wait for her to wake up. And then you two will be able to live together in Mantua, without any other person besides me knowing. Hopefully you will receive this letter on time! Friar Laurence.'  
  
Biting his lip, Romeo turned back to Friar John. "I'm so sorry." "For?" the friar asked, smirking. "Not listening to you. Where is Friar Laurence?" He tossed the bottle of poison into the grass. "It's fine, I forgive you. He should be here any time soon. And Juliet should wake up in a matter of an hour or two, or so we think." "Ah," said Romeo. He leaned back against the door to the tomb, saying nothing more.  
  
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Friar Laurence had been walking for about thirty minutes now. In his old age, even walking was a burden for him. He saw the torchlights in front of the Capulet tomb shining, and he saw two figures underneath it. Smiling to himself, he thought, 'He did get the letter. Good.' He attempted to speed up his pace, even though it made his legs ache even more. Finally he reached the door. "Romeo!" he cried cheerfully. Romeo smiled at him and kissed his hand. Friar John did the same. Friar Laurence gestured to the iron doors. "So, shall we?" He unlocked the doors and opened them. The stench of decay hit them hard. The Friar saw that John had pinched his nose shut. Romeo was squinting, with his nose scrunched up a bit. He was holding a lit torch. When they reached the platform Juliet was lying upon, he put the torch in one of the holders nearby. Friar John looked very nauseous. "You may leave, if you'd like." Friar Laurence told him. John put his hand over his mouth and nodded. He managed to utter, "I think I'll do that." He ran up the stairs and out of the tomb. Romeo looked down at the seemingly dead Juliet. He thought that she was more beautiful than ever, too beautiful to be truly dead. Luckily, she was not truly dead, only sleeping. He touched her soft cheek, her silky hair. He sighed. The stench of the tomb was starting to get to him. Friar Laurence was also looking down at Juliet, his arms crossed. He appeared to be very calm. Romeo smiled to himself as he stared at Juliet, falling into a daydream about how happy they would be when he took her home to Mantua.  
  
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Fifteen minutes had passed. Friar Laurence suddenly became alert. Juliet had begun to stir. This snapped Romeo out of his daydream, and he stepped closer to his waking wife. Juliet's hand clenched, then reopened. She felt the material of her burial dress. She heard whispering above her. Slowly she opened her eyes, then closed them. Then she squinted up at the ceiling. The room she was in smelled extremely nauseating. She felt hands grab her own and pulling her up. Suddenly she felt wide awake. She looked to her left, and saw the friendly, caring face of Friar Laurence. They smiled at each other. 'Where is my Romeo?' she thought. She looked to her right, and there he was. He held his arms out to her, and they embraced. He pulled her off of the platform and took her into his arms. "Come, you two, let's exit from this filthy, rotting, stench of a place." Said the Friar. Together the three of them left the tomb. Romeo got onto his horse, pulling Juliet up behind him. They waved to the Friar and rode off into the distance, toward Mantua. The sun was beginning to rise. 


End file.
